


Your Slanted View

by ironxprince



Category: The Queen's Gambit (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romance, Touchy-Feely, that's it really, they go bowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:16:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27712589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironxprince/pseuds/ironxprince
Summary: Benny takes Beth bowling, and teaches her how to play.She's a fast learner.
Relationships: Beth Harmon/Benny Watts
Comments: 13
Kudos: 174





	Your Slanted View

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing these characters. I fell in love with the show and wanted to try writing for it; let me know what you think!

“Have you ever gone bowling?” Benny asks, and Beth looks up from her novel to see him watching her expectantly.

“Uh, yeah,” Beth shrugs absentmindedly. “When I was younger. Why?”

“I was thinking of going. There’s a new place in town; I drove past it the other day. Was wondering if you’d like to join me.”

Beth returns her gaze to the novel. “I’m not that good.”

“Finally, something I can beat you at.” Beth glares at him over the top of her book, and Benny chuckles. “No, come on. You don’t have to be good.  _ I’m  _ not that good. It’s just fun.”

Beth watches him for a moment, meeting his playful, almost challenging gaze. “Fine,” she concedes, and Benny grins. “When?”

“Now.” Benny moves to stand from the couch, and Beth watches him, her novel forgotten with her finger pressed between the pages. Benny slides his feet into the shoes that wait by the door before brushing his hands along the pockets of his jeans and giving Beth an expectant grin. “You coming?”

Beth rolls her eyes before tossing her novel aside and moving to the bedroom to change out of her skirt.

\--

Beth’s eyes fly to the bar the moment she crosses the threshold into the bowling alley, Benny at her side. Two stools sit before a simple wooden bench, a third overturned; half-empty bottles line the glass shelves behind it. It’s definitely not the fanciest bar Beth’s ever seen, but at this moment it’s definitely the most enticing.

Beth hadn’t realized she’d stopped moving until Benny grabs her hand and gently tugs her away, toward a desk with a large, neon sign that reads “ _ SHOES _ ”. If something were to take her mind off the brown bottles, it would definitely be the bright lights that assault her eyes.

She ends up with a pair a size too large, but she figures it doesn’t much matter; she’s just tossing a ball, anyway. It can’t be that hard.

When she makes her first throw, slips, and the ball goes rolling into (what Benny shouted was) the gutter, she reconsiders her previous evaluation.

Laughter from behind her has Beth turning to glare at Benny, her hands on her hips. She feels ridiculous. The lights are too bright, and her oversized shoes remind her of those of a clown.

Beth glares at Benny as he cackles, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. “I warned you I wasn’t any good.”

Benny pushes his hair back as he stands, still giggling. He lifts a hand, palm out, as he approaches. “No, it’s alright, it’s alright.” He takes a ball from the rack and offers it to Beth. “Here, you get two shots to knock down the tenpins.” Beth narrows her eyes, not eager to accept any help from this traitor. Benny sighs, lifting the ball higher. “Come on, I’ll help you.”

Finally Beth concedes, taking the ball from his hands as she turns back to the lane. “Unless you’re going to throw it for me, I don’t see how-”

Benny steps closer, pressing his chest up against her back, his arms around her sides. Beth stiffens, her breath catching in her throat. Benny’s fingers tighten around her elbows and she can feel his hair tickling her neck and his breath on her ear as he leans in close.

“You want to back this foot up a tad,” he says, gently guiding Beth’s right foot back with the toe of his shoe. Beth tries her best to focus, to comply, to document this feeling so she can replicate it - but right now, all she feels is Benny.

“You want to relax this shoulder,” he continues, placing his hand with a feather-light touch near her neck, “and tilt your body… here.” His hands land on Beth’s waist, and she blinks, her gaze shifting over her shoulder as Benny guides her hand back. “You’re going to swing here, guide your hand forward… and release.”

Benny steps off to the side, and Beth suddenly finds herself cold as his warmth abandons her, and she turns to watch him leave. After a moment of watching her, Benny smirks.

“That too much for you, Harmon?” Beth sets her jaw and turns her face away. “Yeah, lane’s over there.” Benny softens his voice as Beth shoos him from her mind and attempts to position herself how she remembers being taught. “And… release.”

The ball goes flying and sends a couple of pins crashing back.

“Hey!” Benny cheers as he applauds.

Beth turns to him with a furrowed brow. “It was only four pins.”

Benny sweeps his arms out. “That’s four more than last time.” Beth rolls her eyes, but she can’t help but smile, stepping back to watch as the pins are replaced and Benny lifts a ball of his own. He shuffles his feet into position and hefts the ball to his chest before taking two long strides forward and sending it flying. Beth watches with narrowed eyes as the ball takes out the entire decade.

“I thought you said you weren’t good at this.”

Benny shrugs as he turns back around, shoving his hands in his pockets nonchalantly, though his eyes and his raised eyebrow hold an air of conceit. “Well, I won’t be winning any medals anytime soon.”

“Oh, you should be ashamed of yourself.”

Benny grins. “C’mon,” he says, nodding back toward the lane. “You’re up.”

Beth steps past him without a glance. She positions herself the way she just watched Benny do, holding the ball to her chest and fixing her eyes down the lane.

“C’mon, Harmon,” Benny mutters. “Show me what you’ve got.”

She takes two strides forward before crossing one ankle behind the other and swinging her arm forward, letting the ball go.

The echoing sound of clattering pins fills her ears.

“No way,” Benny mutters. Beth keeps her eyes on the now-empty lane, a small smirk playing on her lips. “ _ How? _ ” he exclaims, stepping to her side and squatting as if to get a better view of the lane. Beth has no idea why; it’s empty from all angles.

Benny remains on the floor as he turns to look sharply up at her. “How?” he repeats, and Beth shrugs, clasping her hands behind her back.

“I’m a fast learner.”

Benny sighs as he shakes his head, offering his hand up to her. She takes it, and they shake silently.

“Alright, shove over,” Benny says as he stands and reaches for a ball. “Now I’m going to play for real.”

“As will I,” Beth says sweetly as she moves to peer at him from the side. Benny raises an eyebrow in her direction, before getting into position. He focuses across the lane at the pins with laser intensity before taking his turn.

18 frames later, Benny wins - but Beth is only two points behind.


End file.
